One of the most important things for me in 2019 is streamlining. Which basically means, making everything as simple as possible. That includes my skincare and makeup, so if there's a product that can do the job of two or three? I'm going to be interested.

Barry M's new Nymph Radiance Serum is one of those products. It can be used alone as a moisturising serum in the morning, as a night treatment, mixed in with your foundation for a glowy finish, or as a primer.

It's vegan (yay!) and the ingredients list doesn't have any nasties hiding, it's almost entirely oils from plants, fruits etc. There's apricot oil for anti-inflammatory purposes, papaya to brighten and tea tree to soothe. 

So it has lots of potential uses, but how does it actually perform at them? Well, I've been putting that to the test.

As a morning serum it's the perfect lightweight moisturiser. It's really soothing to apply and the quick facial massage is a great way to start the day, plus it smells delicious (don't eat it!). It absorbs quickly and doesn't leave skin feeling oily or sticky, but does give skin a natural glow.

Used before bed you can be a bit more liberal in application and again it's a relaxing way to finish off your night-time skincare. It won't hang around for long so you don't need to worry about your pillowcases, but you will wake up with skin that looks bright, fresh and smoothe.

I have combination skin so a lot of matte-finish foundations can also be a little too drying for me and mixing just a drop of the serum in with my foundation seemed to make a real difference to how smoothly it applied, as well as reducing any clinging to dry patches. A little more powder was needed to set everything in place, but it didn't really affect how long my makeup lasted for or cause it any issues.

Then there's the reason I actually bought this product in the first place, it's use as a primer. This really ties in with the morning serum side as you don't need to apply it twice. It's fast to absorb so you don't have to wait a long time before applying makeup on top, and like when it's mixed in with foundation it does give you a smoothe finish. It doesn't do any pore hiding though, so if that's a big issue for you then you might want to target those areas with something else on top. But my makeup looked great and stayed put, so it did what I needed.

Overall, I think the Barry M Nymph Radiance Serum is a great product that can do multiple things well and at just £7.99 it's a really good price too.. plus natural ingredients, cruelty free and vegan! I'm definitely going to keep using this serum in all the ways it offers and won't hesitate to repurchase when I run out (which probably won't be for a while because a little goes a long way!)

You can find the serum on the Barry M website here.

Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Stay safe, x

*I purchased this product myself. All thoughts, opinions & photos are my own.*


I've linked up with:

The first Birchbox of the year comes with the theme "shake your pom poms" in the hope of brightening up what can be quite a gloomy month.

I love the bright and colourful theme of the box and the items within it, it really did bring spark some life into the grey and cold weather outside for me.

So, let's drive right in and see what was in the January 2019 Birchbox, and what I thought of the products.

• CLE Cosmetics Essence Moonlighter Cushion (Shade: Apricot) RRP £22 - Fullsize. I don't think I've ever used cushion makeup before, but it's something I've always been eager to try so I couldn't wait to give this highlighter a go (plus I'm not familiar with the brand either). You just press the supplied puff gently into the cushion and the tap onto the skin for instant glow (you could also use your fingers). You don't have to press hard to get a decent amount of product onto the puff and it transfers beautifully onto the skin. It's easy to build up for a stronger highlight, but is also so simple to blend out for a more natural glow, which is what I prefer. It lasted most of the day and didn't have any issues working with my other makeup. I'm a big fan of this highlighter and will definitely be looking at what else CLE Cosmetics have to offer.
  

• Doucce Maxlash Volumizer Mascara RRP £18. You can see in the top photo the difference between my eyes with and without this mascara on (just one coat on the left, none on the right). It applies easily, no smudges or clumps, and instantly brings volume and length. It's a nice mascara to use and didn't irritate my eyes at all and stayed put throughout the day. It's been my go-to mascara for the last week or so, and I'd happily repurchase and recommend.
• Birchbox Pom Pom Hair Ties. Just a bit of fun really, not something I'd use but my neice will love them!

Final Thoughts:
I'm really happy with January's Birchbox. I can use everything in it and all the products do what they claim. Some have become firm favourites and I'll definitely repurchase a couple! I'm looking forward to seeing what February has in store.

You can subscribe to Birchbox here [Referral Link]

If you already subscribe to Birchbox, drop me a comment to let me know what you thought of this month's box, or tell me if you have any other subscription boxes to recommend!

Stay safe, x

Last week I gave you guys a brief rundown on what to expect from the latest Specialbuys from Aldi; their Ski Pro collection. You can read details of everything included here.

But over the weekend I managed to get my hands on a couple of things, so thought I'd give you a quick look and tell you my thoughts.

The first thing is the Inoc Faux Fur Band Knitted Hat (which you can see in the photo). It looks warm and cosy and it more than lives up to expectation when it's on your head. It's a really comfortable fit (even over a ponytail) and did a great job of keeping the wind away from my ears when the temperatures dropped over the last couple of days. So off the slopes it's a great option, and I'm confident it would be just as good on the white stuff as well, it fits comfortably under a ski helmet so that's a real bonus and it looks fashionable on its own. At £3.49 it's a bargain and you can find it here.

The second item I've been putting to the test is the Ladies Sports Base Layer (there is a mens version).
It's designed to dry quickly, keep your core warm and reduce windchill. It's like a second skin to wear and I tested it's flexibility by wearing it for yoga class and it didn't restrict my movement at all, so you don't need to worry about that when you're skiing or snowboarding. Mine is a size bigger than I would normally wear and is still very form-fitting (it kind of needs to be to work), I expect it would stretch if needed but if you're looking for a looser fit then this probably isn't for you. But I really enjoyed wearing it, it's warm and comfortable but didn't make me feel constricted or at risk of being too-hot. It's sold out online but if you're lucky you might be able to find it instore for £8.99.

There's so much in the Ski Pro range that would be great whether you want it for a bit of fun in the snow or just to stay warm closer to home. I've also got a pair of the Merino Ski Glove Liners on the way because my hands are always cold!

Let me know if you decide to pick anything up from the collection by dropping me a comment below!

Stay safe, x

 The skii season is well-underway and the weather at home is starting to match the chill on the slopes, so what better time for Aldi to launch their new Ski Pro collection of winter sports clothing!

From the big items like the 3-in-1 Ski Pro Jacket to the smaller essentials like socks, the range has everything you need to keep you warm this winter, whether you're enjoying the powder or just trying to stay warm on the early morning dog walks!

The Ski Pro collection is available to pre-order now at www.aldi.co.uk and is in stores from Sunday 20th January 2019, so let's take a look at what you can get your hands on:

• MEN’S AND LADIES’ SKI PRO 3-LAYER 3-IN-1 JACKET (ONLINE ONLY) £89.99
• MEN’S AND LADIES’ 3-LAYER TROUSERS (ONLINE ONLY) £49.99
• MEN’S AND LADIES’ SKI PRO JACKET £34.99
• MEN’S AND LADIES’ SKI PRO SALOPETTES £29.99
• MEN’S AND LADIES’ MERINO SPORTS MIDLAYER (SKI) £29.99
• MEN’S AND LADIES’ HYBRID KNITTED JACKET £19.99
• LADIES SNOW BOOTS £17.99
• MEN'S SNOW BOOTS £17.99
• CHILDREN'S SNOW BOOTS £11.99
• MEN’S AND LADIES’ SKI PRO GLOVES/MITTS £9.99
• MEN’S AND LADIES’ WINTER SPORTS PERFORMANCE BASE LAYER £8.99
• MERINO SKI ACCESSORIES £5.99
• MEN’S AND LADIES’ SKI SOCKS WITH SILK 1PK £4.99
• FAUX FUR ACCESSORIES £3.49

Skiwear can be pretty expensive, especially if it's your first time hitting the slopes and you need to be fully kitted out, so the Ski Pro range from Aldi is a great way to get high quality clothing without breaking the bank.

I'm looking forward to trying out a couple of things from the collection, so I'll be sure to let you all know how I get on!

- You can now read my review of the Faux Fur Band Hat and the Womens Baselayer here -

Drop me a comment below if you're planning on going skiing this year, if you're hoping to pick any of these items up or if you have any advice for first-time visitors to the slopes!

Stay safe, x

I love face masks. If you've read this blog for a while, or if you follow me on instagram, you'll know this already. They're my little luxury, the non-negotiable break I give myself twice a week to just lie back, relax and let my face be pampered a little.

So whenever I get the chance to try out something different, I'm immediately up for it, which is how I came across my latest discovery: the Marine Moisture Mask from Procoal.

Procoal itself is a new brand for me but I'm really happy I've found them because they focus on making sure the ingredients in their products are as traceable and ethically-sourced as possible, and they're a cruelty free brand (no animal testing) which I love! Their product range currently consists of teeth whitening products, a charcoal face mask, this sheet mask, shampoo bars, and a natural deodorant.

The Marine Moisture Mask is all about hydration. It's free from parabens, pigments, silicones and mineral oils.. YAY.. and is formulated in the UK.

It contains nutrient-rich Marine ferments which provide antioxidants and helps the skin retain the moisture boost from the other ingredients such as Pro-Vitamin B5 and botanical extracts, along with aloe vera to keep skin soothed and soft. While the charcoal elements help to keep skin clear and blemish free.

Each mask contains around 25g of serum, which is a lot, so your skin gets a real hit of hydration in one go.

All-in-all, I couldn't wait to try it out and was looking forward to my 20 minutes of relaxtion.

After cleansing and drying my face, I removed the mask from the sachet and was surprised to see that it was black in colour; then reminded myself it was a charcoal mask, so duh. After carefully unfolding the mask was pretty easy to get into place and fit pretty well.

I then lay back and listened to a podcast for 20 minutes while my skin felt instantly soothed and refreshed underneath the mask.

After removing, there was a bit of serum left on my face, but not too much to be annoying, which I simply massaged into my skin and rubbed the leftovers on my hands onto my cuticles because they're always dry at this time of year!

My skin felt immediately hydrated and supple after using the mask, with a definite improvement in radiance. I used it before bed and the next morning a couple of blemishes that had been starting to show were virtually invisible and my skin still had a nice moisturised glow.

With 4 masks in a pack, I'm already looking forward to using it again tomorrow (face mask nights are Tuesday and Fridays for me) and will definitely be repurchasing when I've run out. At a current price of £13.99 for 4, it's a great deal and well worth it!

• Hydrated skin? ✔
• Radiant skin? ✔
• Soft and supple? ✔
• Blemishes reduced and skin clearer? ✔

I really can't say enough good things about the Procoal Marine Moisture Mask, it's lovely to use and made a visible difference to my skin. What more could you want?

You can buy the mask here: https://procoal.co.uk/products/moisturising-sheet-mask

Let me know in the comments below if you've tried anything from Procoal, or if you have a favourite face mask you think I should know about!

Stay safe, x